[themaclad]

Morecambe owner Jason Whittingham has sacked the club's board a day after they said they would place the club in administration if it was not sold.

The beleaguered Lancashire club's board put two statements out on Tuesday that gave Whittingham's Bond Group Investments until 18:00 BST to complete a protracted sale to Panjab Warriors.

However, the deal was not finalised and Whittingham has now said he has "started the process to dismiss the board of directors with immediate effect in order that we can take control over the situation".

He added this would give the Bond Group "the required additional time to ensure that the club has the best chance to avoid administration".

The Shrimps will play in the National League next season after they were relegated from League Two.

Morecambe's MP Lizzi Collinge said on Monday that Bond Group should "get on with" the deal to sell the 105-year-old club.

On Tuesday the directors initially released a statement saying they would give Whittingham until 16:00 BST, before allowing an extra two hours after "new information came to light".

This second deadline passed without the sale going through and in a third statement of the day, the board said that they would be contacting administrators "at the earliest opportunity", external on Wednesday.

Whittingham, who said the club was at a "crisis point" but denied claims he was stalling on the deal, said there would be further communication on Thursday.

Morecambe misery continues
Whittingham, who oversaw the takeover of the club in 2018, previously told BBC Radio Lancashire that he "could not wait to get out" of the then League Two club in an interview in January.

Since then the club, which reached League One in 2021, have been relegated from the English Football League (EFL), meaning they will play in the National League next season for the first time since 2007.

The deal to sell the club to Panjab Warriors was approved by the EFL earlier in June.

Panjab Warriors said last week they had already paid £3.8m to Bond Group, alongside a separate payment of £630,000 to clear outstanding loans against the club.

The group claimed they had also loaned a further £1.7m to the club over the past 14 months to "ensure its ongoing survival".

[themaclad]

Terms have been agreed on the protracted takeover of Morecambe by Panjab Warriors, current Shrimps owner Jason Whittingham has said.

A turbulent week at the National League side saw the board threaten to place Morecambe into administration if Whittingham did not complete the sale of the club on Tuesday.

Whittingham subsequently sought to remove the board the following day.

However, the deal between Whittingham's Bond Group Investments and Panjab Warriors has now been struck and is set to be formally completed on Monday, 7 July.

The Shrimps were relegated from League Two last season after 18 years in the English Football League (EFL).

In a statement on the club website,, external Whittingham said he had invited the "former directors" back to the board to "oversee the final stages of the sale process" and they have subsequently "unanimously agreed".

"All we can promise is that we will do everything in our powers to make it happen, get wages paid, and begin at last to look forwards," they said in their own statement., external


Morecambe's MP Lizzi Collinge said on Monday that Bond Group should "get on with" the deal to sell the 105-year-old club.

On Tuesday, the directors initially released a statement saying they would give Whittingham until 16:00 BST to sell his shares, before allowing an extra two hours after "new information came to light".

This second deadline passed without the sale going through and in a third statement of the day, the board said that they would be contacting administrators "at the earliest opportunity", on Wednesday.

Whittingham then released a statement of his own, external on Wednesday saying he had "started the process to dismiss the board of directors with immediate effect in order that we can take control over the situation", while denying claims he was stalling on the deal.

Whittingham, who oversaw the takeover of the club in 2018, previously told BBC Radio Lancashire that he "could not wait to get out" of the then League Two club in an interview in January.

Since then the club, which reached League One in 2021, have been relegated from the EFL, meaning they will play in the National League next season for the first time since 2007.

The deal to sell the club to Panjab Warriors was approved by the EFL earlier in June.

Panjab Warriors said last week they had already paid £3.8m to Bond Group, alongside a separate payment of £630,000 to clear outstanding loans against the club.

The group claimed they had also loaned a further £1.7m to the club over the past 14 months to "ensure its ongoing survival".

[themaclad]

The National League have "serious concerns" surrounding Morecambe's compliance with its rules and intends to "discuss possible further sanctions", the body has said in a statement.

The beleaguered club has had a chaotic summer since being relegated from League Two, with a deal yet to take place despite two parties having takeover bids accepted, while the board of directors resigned.

The league said they had met with Shrimps owner Jason Whittingham on Thursday in order to "outline terms that must be met" by 12:00 BST on Monday.

Discussions were held regarding the club's ability to meet its financial obligations for the coming 2025-26 season, it added,, external with a further meeting of its Club Compliance and Licensing committee due to meet again on Monday.

Whittingham put the club up for sale in September 2022 but a deal has still not been done, with the club tumbling from League One to the National League having been relegated in two of the past three seasons.

Panjab Warriors have been part of a takeover attempt of the club for more than a year and the EFL approved their takeover earlier this summer after their relegation from League Two was confirmed, but that deal has still not got over the line.

Meanwhile, another takeover bid from a consortium led by Jonny Cato was also accepted earlier in July, but it is unclear where that bid - or that of Panjab Warriors' efforts - stands with just over two weeks remaining until the start of the season.

It has been a fraught summer for the Lancashire club, as the Shrimps' board previously threatened to put the club into administration if a deal was not completed.

The board were then sacked by Whittingham but then swiftly brought back to help the deal with Panjab Warriors take place.

Soon after, the board resigned as that deal stalled, with Cato's "last minute" bid later accepted, however he has not been seen or heard from in public since the deal was announced.

[Lord Snooty]

Looks like they're going to be "Buryed".

The committee who approved fit and proper ownership needs a serious looking at.

[themaclad]

The Indian bidder has returned, the League are interested up to the retard that owns them now, but his he still waiting for Johnny Cato?

[themaclad]

The first team at Morecambe have stopped all football operations as the uncertainty around the future of the club continues.

The Shrimps were suspended by the National League until 20 August on Monday over a failure to comply with the league's rules.

London-based sports investment company Panjab Warriors, who have been in talks with the club's owner Jason Whittingham for more than a year, released a statement to say they remain "ready, willing and able" to take over.

However, they have confirmed that the takeover has not been finalised and have "implored" the current owners to complete the sale.

A joint statement issued by Panjab Warriors, minority shareholders, the Shrimps Trust and the local MP Lizzi Collinge said: "The first team have had to stop all football operations as the required insurance which was in place has now lapsed as payment has not been made.

"As a result of this escalating situation more first team players have left the club, with further players set to leave by the end of this week."

[themaclad]

Now officially run out of money, next league meeting 20/8/2025, they technically have 15 days left.

[spireitematt]

I hope they manage to sort it out. I think we need to have a rule similar to Germany's 51% rule where a supporters trust or consortium owns a percentage of a club and the rest is owned by private owners or private consortium. A few people might be against that as they may see it as socialist, but at the end of the day football clubs and sports teams aren't like other businesses or industry's.

[themaclad]

If anyone believes this, please DM me, I have some mgic beans to sell them

Morecambe owner Jason Whittingham has said a mediation session with potential buyers Panjab Warriors is planned for Wednesday.

A session had been set to take place last week according to Panjab Warriors, who alleged Whittingham cancelled the meeting the day before it was due to happen.

In a statement, Whittingham said that the club were continuing to work with "a number of potential buyers" and that he expected to complete the process later this week.

"Key stakeholders of the club are regularly updated, as we along with our advisory team engage with buyers and remain fully supportive of the process," the statement added., external

"We will be appointing an interim board imminently to facilitate the final stages of the sale process."

In response,, external supporters' group the Shrimps Trust said the National League had confirmed to them that "no party other than Panjab Warriors had approached them for the required approval" to take over the club.

BBC Radio Lancashire has repeatedly contacted Whittingham for comment.

Panjab Warriors have been attempting to buy the club for more than a year and have previously said they have put in significant funding in order to help finance the Shrimps last season.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy wrote an open letter to Whittingham this summer urging him to sell amid a chaotic off-season, during which a separate bid was made for the club, but a deal has yet to go through.

Her letter came after the club were suspended by the National League for failing to comply with their rules, while Panjab Warriors also said in a joint statement that the club would shut last week if a takeover did not go through.

Morecambe, who were relegated from the English Football League (EFL) last season, were due to face Boston United on Saturday to kick off their 2025-26 National League campaign.

[themaclad]

Agreement reached

---

Morecambe's owners and prospective buyers Panjab Warriors have reached an agreement in principle over a takeover which could save the crisis club.

Panjab Warriors previously had their takeover approved by the EFL in June, following the club's relegation from League Two, but a chaotic summer has followed - with the Shrimps being suspended from the National League in the midst of an ongoing impasse.

"This agreement reflects the willingness of both sides to compromise in the best interests of Morecambe FC, its supporters, and the wider community. It paves the way for continued stability and a positive future both on and off the pitch," the two parties said in a joint statement., external

"Final legal documentation will now be prepared, with immediate steps being taken to inform key stakeholders, including the National League and the club's management team.

"Both Panjab Warriors and Bond Group would like to thank all parties involved for their patience and support during this process, and we look forward to a new chapter in the club's history."

The announcement comes after the two parties agreed to a mediation session this week, after an initial session failed to take place.

Panjab Warriors, who have been trying to take over the beleaguered club for more than a year, were joined in a separate bid by businessman Jonny Cato in trying to mount a takeover.

Morecambe closed operations in late July, shortly after their suspension from the National League.

It is unclear from Thursday's statement when Panjab Warriors' takeover will be finalised, however.

"We would like to thank all of the staff at the club for their forbearance and can only apologise for the stress this has caused," added the Bond Group.

"I would hope that the Shrimps fans can now give their full support to the club and its journey ahead."